Jul 28, 2018; Eagan, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings new training facility TCO Performance Center in Eagan MN. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
First, cornerbacks Mekhi Blackmon and Shaquill Griffin went down with injuries. Blackmon will miss all of 2024 with a torn ACL, and Griffin is week-to-week with a hamstring ailment.
Now, it’s tight end Robert Tonyan.
The new Viking fell injured on Wednesday with an unclear immediate prognosis. KARE11’s Julia Daniels tweeted, “Vikings tight end Robert Tonyan is being carted off the practice field. No word on what the injury is, but he has been laying on his back for a while before they brought the cart out.”
Minnesota can’t afford too many injuries, and depending on Tonyan’s outlook, the landscape of the early-season offense could change considerably. Tonyan is tentatively in line to fill pass-catching duties for T.J. Hockenson — who is also injured.
This is Minnesota’s TE room at the end of July:
Tonyan, 30, encountered a quiet season with the Chicago Bears in 2023, receiving just 17 targets in 17 games while banking 11 receptions for 112 yards. Before 2023, Tonyan spent five seasons in Green Bay, with 1,437 yards on 148 catches for 17 touchdowns in 68 games as a Packer. At times, he was one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite targets.
He is also the most recent in a long list of Packers defectors to join the Vikings in the last few years, including Bashaud Breeland, Chandon Sullivan, Za’Darius Smith, Dean Lowry, Aaron Jones — and now Tonyan.
In June, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis tweeted, “Robert Tonyan has looked great in minicamp. No hyperbole. Catching everything, snagged multiple passes in red-zone period today, outstretched arms, toe-tapping in corner of the end zone. Just impressive.”
Now, Tonyan’s teammates and the Vikings fanbase will hold their breath and hope for a positive update. Although the team’s tight end depth is impressive — there are eight options — the group lacks a clear-cut TE1 type with Hockenson out and Tonyan’s immediate future uncertain.
Meanwhile, the free-agent market is down to nubbins, mostly a hodgepodge of former Vikings like Blake Bell and Brandon Dillon. Neither man is near TE1 status.
If the worst arises from the Tonyan development — there’s no reason to believe that at the time of this article’s publication — about 700 players will hit the waiver wire and free agency on August 27th when all NFL teams trim rosters from 90 players to 53. A few TE options will be available.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.